Life on Mars? - Bowie´s My Way

[Harry_HH]

For me Bowie´s Life on Mars? has always been absolutely one of the best pop songs written and performed. Both the lyrics and melody/harmony are brilliant, Rick Wakeman´s piano is just great, and so are the rest of the arrangement and production. Bowie performing the song dressed in Freddie Burretti´s turquoise “ice-blue” suit and red hair is just stunning.

But only recently I happned to read article of a strange connection, which may be familiar for some of you, but new for me. That´s the origin (or one of the impulses) of the song as a counterword to Paul Anka´s lyrics and Frank Sinatra´s performance for the song My Way. Even the chord progression in the beginning of the Life on Mars? is similar than the orginal French song "Comme d'habitude", composed and written by French songwriter Jacques Revaux.

Here are links to both of the songs, plus to a presentation of a guy who has made great Youtube of the case.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(song)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Way